CN to meet with union after yard and train workers reject deal
by Scott Deveau
Canadian National Railway Co. says it will meet with the leadership of the union representing 3,000 of its conductors, yard and train workers after its membership rejected a new labour pact negotiated last fall.

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, which represents the workers, is now in a position to serve 72-hour strike notice. But Ray Donegan, TCRC vice-general chairman, said the union has no intention of doing so at this point. He said the union’s preferred path is to return to the bargaining table.

CN, which is also in a position to serve 72-hour notice of a lockout, said it was disappointed that the union’s membership rejected the tentative agreement that was reached in October 2013.

“Last fall, after extensive negotiations, we reached progressive agreements with the union leadership of the TCRC-CTY representing our Canadian employees,” said Jim Vena, CN chief operating officer, in a statement. “We are disappointed to learn that those agreements failed to ratify. We have agreed to meet with the TCRC-CTY leaders next week to review the ratification results and discuss solutions on how we move forward from here.”